Buzz from the Beehive
Finance Minister Nicola Willis hadn’t finished with wanting to tell us about Budget 2024 at the end of play on Budget Day. She had more announcements yesterday.
One of these informed us that people will get to keep more of their own money from 31 July after the passage of the Taxation (Budget Measures) Bill in Parliament yesterday.
Your Point of Order scribes had already checked on their fiscal boost from Willis’ Budget triumph. It looks like we might get enough – as national superannuitants – to buy an extra cup of coffee per fortnight at the local café, rising to two cups – whoopee! – from next April.
But we weren’t necessarily the target of Willis’ exuberance. She was chuffed about average-income households being up to $102 a fortnight better off from 31 July.
She was also chuffed that – within 18 hours of the Budget’s release – more than 240,000 hits had been recorded on the government’s Tax Calculator website. She declared:
“Our Budget delivers for New Zealanders, and I continue to encourage all Kiwis to use our tax calculator at Budget.govt.nz/tax calculator to see how much they will benefit by from July 31.”
The press statement does not tell us how many of the hits resulted in the information-seekers being thrilled with what they learned and how many were disappointed.
But we are sure the people of Southland – many of them, anyway – would have been delighted at the news from Energy Minister Simeon Brown about a 20-year deal being struck to power the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter near Bluff.
There was good news, too, for hunters who feel they are being handicapped when they go gunning for prey – unarmed, prey, we understand – on conservation land. Now they can get a fair deal by being able to use thermal technology to find the creatures that otherwise would elude them.
Latest from the Beehive
31 MAY 2024
People to keep more of their own money from 31 July
Average-income households will be up to $102 a fortnight better off from 31 July following passage of The Taxation (Budget Measures) Bill in Parliament today.
More than 240,000 hits on Tax Calculator
Within 18 hours of the Budget being released, there have been 240,821 visits to our tax calculator website which outlines exactly how much tax relief lower and middle income New Zealanders will receive.
NZ celebrates 12 months free trade with the UK
The Government is encouraging businesses to take advantage of the reduced tariff rates under our free trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK).
Handheld thermal tech now allowed on public conservation land
Technology making it easier for hunters to find animals will be allowed on public conservation land from 1 June, Hunting and Fishing Minister Todd McClay has announced.
Government to repeal costly log trade legislation
The Government will repeal legislation this weekend requiring the compulsory registration of log traders and forestry advisers, Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced.
New direction for Health New Zealand
Professor Lester Levy has been appointed as a member and Chair of the Board of Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ).
Government welcomes smelter agreement
The signing of individual 20-year bilateral long-term contracts between the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter (NZAS), Meridian Energy, Contact Energy, and Mercury NZ will provide certainty for the electricity market and will be a welcome relief for the Southland economy.
Foreign Minister to visit South East Asia
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to South East Asia next week.
Point of Order 